Hornets Bats Get Hot Late as they Club Ichabods

A promising four-run first inning for the Washburn baseball team was overshadowed on Tuesday as the Ichabods fell to conference rival Emporia State, 16-6, at Glennen Field.

WU (19-21, 11-18 MIAA) batters opened the evening focused, stringing together three consecutive hits from the top of the lineup. During the opening stanza the Ichabods pushed four runners across on six hits in 10 at-bats and twice loaded the bases.

The first run of the day came with one out as Tanner Triggs (0-3, 1 BB) recorded his 16th RBI of the season as Bowe Behymer (1-4) crossed home while Triggs reached base on a fielder’s choice. Behymer reached on an infield before a single from Josh Crosby moved him to third. Logan Twehous then made it 2-0 when he slapped a single up the middle allowing Triggs to run home from second.

Washburn then went up 3-0 as Darian Abram registered his sixth-career double which allowed Gabe Franklin to score after he reached on a two-out single to left. Kasey Clark was then hit with a pitch to load the bases. Landon Hay followed by drawing a four-pitch walk forcing Twehous across home for the run. The inning then came to an abrupt end as Emporia State’s new pitcher managed to record the final out.

Ichabod starter Nick Silva shutout the Hornets in the first despite walking the lead-off batting. Silva was credited with a no decision as he worked 2 1/3 innings allowing three runs on three hits.

WU opened the third with a 4-2 advantage before Abram found a hole in the right side of the infield for an RBI single as Franklin crossed to make it 5-2. Later in the inning, the Hornets matched the WU-run and cut the margin to 5-3.

ESU continued to rally back until a two-run fourth tied the contest at 5-5 before tacking on three in the fifth and never looked back after plating five in the sixth.

Washburn’s final run of the contest came in the stop half of the sixth as Dylan Lonteen belted his third-career home run. The blast from the freshman at the time cut the Emporia State to a two-run margin as the Ichabods trailed 8-6.

WU finished the contest with six runs on 11 hits and one error while ESU scored 16 runs on 15 hits. The Ichabods left five runners on base while Emporia State stranded 11.

Despite working just 0.2 innings, Zach Linquist was charged with the loss as surrendered three runs on two hits. Also appearing on the mound for the Ichabods was Jaren Kutzke (1.1 IP), Matthew Hicks (1 IP), Marcus McKinney (0.1 IP), Drew Johnson (1.1 IP) and Blake Peterson (0.2 IP).

UP NEXT
Washburn is off for the remainder of the week. The Ichabods resume action on Monday, Apr. 24 with a non-conference series against Southeastern Oklahoma State. Monday’s contest is slated for a doubleheader with the finale scheduled for Tuesday.